Heat exchanger



March 6, 1962 C. H. STODDARD ETAL HEAT EXCHANGER Filed Sept. 8, 1959 wiil United States Patent 3,024,004 HEAT EXCHANGER Charles H. Stoddardand James Layfield, Wellsville, N.Y., assignors to The Air PreheaterCorporation, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Sept. 8,1959, Ser. No. 838,799 2 Claims. (Cl. 257-267) This invention relates toa heat exchanger of the class that comprises a mass of heat absorbentelement that is adapted to be alternately brought into contact with astream of heating fluid and a fluid to be heated whereby heat from theheating fluid is transferred to the fluid to be heated through theintermediary of the heat absorbent element. Heat exchangers of this typeare known as regenerative heat exchangers, and they are adapted to beeither continuously or intermittently exposed to the alternate fluids byflow directing means that includes sealing means arranged to isolate onefluid from the other.

There are today two principal types of regenerative heat exchangers incommon use. In one type a regenerative heat absorbent element is rotatedbetween fixed ducts for the heating fluid and the fluid to be heated andin the other type flow directing means at opposite ends of a fixed massof heat absorbent material are adapted to rotate synchronously wherebythe heating fluid and the fluid to be heated are alternately directedthrough the heat absorbent element.

This invention is directed to the latter type of heat exchangerincluding a fixed matrix having a pair of flow directing means atopposite ends thereof adapted to rotate in unison to alternately directthe heating fluid and the fluid to be heated through spaced portions ofthe heat absorbent element. In heat exchangers of this type where thepressure of the heating fluid and the pressure of the fluid to be heatedusually vary considerably, difficulty may be encountered in sealing onefluid from another. This invention accordingly attempts to provide aneflicient adjusting arrangement for the sealing means that is adapted topreclude leakage of one fluid to the other. Morever the apparatus ofthis invention attempts to balance the force of the fluid pressure atopposite ends of the matrix acting against the flow directing means soas to eliminate an inequality of pressure acting upon the spaced flowdirecting means.

The invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings that form partof this specification, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a preferred form of ourinvention.

FIGURE 2 is a transverse sectional view as seen on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the heat exchangercomprises an outer cylindrical drum 20 and a concentric inner drum 22that are radially spaced to provide an annular chamber therebetween. Theannular chamber is divided by a series of radial partitions ordiaphragms 24 to provide a series of sectional compartments 26therebetween. Each compartment 26 is in turn packed with a mass ofregenerative heat exchange material 28 having axial passagestherethrough in order that fluid may flow therethrough in a contactingrelationship. The outer drum 20 is enclosed in a housing 32 having apair of ducts 34 and 36 positioned at opposite ends thereof to provideinlet and outlet passages for a low pressure heating fluid. A pair ofducts 39 and 42 are provided with ports to the housing 32 coaxialthereto. These ducts are adapted to direct a high pressure fluid to beheated to and through the axial passages in the mass of heat exchangematerial 28 carried in the compartments.

A pair of rotatable hood members 44A and 44B that have annular endsurfaces 46 remote from the housing 20 in sealing relation with theflanged ends 47 of ducts 38 and 42 are adapted to permit substantiallyleak free rotation of the axially spaced hoods about the vertical axisof the housing. The end of each hood adjacent the housing terminates ina plate 48 adapted to lie in a plane parallel to and adjacent the endface of the mass of heat exchange element. Each plate 48 is centrallyapertured at 49 to permit its being mounted on the axial rotor shaft 50.The plates include diametrically spaced apertures 51 adapted toprogressively coincide with the several compartments 26 as the hood isrotated about its vertical axis. Sectorial flanges 53 at the side ofeach aperture 51 are provided to preclude the leakage of fluid out ofthe chamber within the hood during rotation about its central axis. Thehoods 44A and 44B are illustrated as extending diametrically with a pairof apertures 51 available to direct fluid through opposite compartments.Under certain conditions however, it may be desirable to restrict thehigh pressure fluid to a single side of the heat exchanger and it isentirely within the scope of this invention to utilize a radial hoodthat directs flow through but a single compartment 26 or the equivalentportion of two adjoining compartments.

The rotor shaft 50 is axially divided into two end sec tions 50A and 50Baxially spaced from a center portion 500 therebetween. The centersection extends axially a distance substantially equal to that ofcylindrical shell 22 and is provided at each end wtih an axial extensionin the form of a cylindrical shell 52 fixed to the outer end thereof.Each extension is provided with a pair of diametral slots 54 throughwhich bolts 56 extend to secure annular flange 58 on plate 48 to theshaft 500. Packing means 62 surrounding shaft members 50A and 50Bpreclude leakage of high pressure fluid through the annular spacessurrounding the shafts.

The shaft assembly 50A, 50B and 500 is rotatably mounted in bearings 64supported by independent structure 66, and the entire rotor shaft andintegral hood members 44A and 44B are rotated about their central axisby motive means (not shown) acting through a driving gear 68 aflixed tothe rotor shaft.

In order that the hood members may be adjusted axially to secure anoptimum relationship between sealing members 72 and the adjacent face ofplates 48, elongate flexible means 74 are directed axially through therotor shaft and anchored at one end to a plate 76 supported on the endface of shaft 50A, and at the opposite end to a plate 78 within theshaft 50B by eye-bolts 82 or their equivalent. An adjusting bolt 84secured to plate 78 extends axially through an opening in plate 86 thatbears against the end face of shaft 50B in such a manner that tighteningthe nut 88 against the face of plate 86 tends to shorten the axialdistance between plates 76 and 86 and accordingly decrease the axialspacing between hood members 44A and 44B and adjacent end edges ofsealing means 72. Conversely, loosening nut 88 permits the fluidpressure within chambers 26 to act against opposing hood members 44A and44B to force them axially apart so as to increase the axial spacingbetween sealing means and the confronting surface of the hood members.

While this invention has been described with reference to the embodimentillustrated in the drawing, it is evident that various changes may bemade without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is thereforeintended that all matter contained in the above description or shown inthe accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and notin a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. Heat exchanger apparatus or the like comprising in combination a pairof concentric cylindrical drums radially spaced to accommodate anannular heat exchange matrix ling means formed to include an annularopening confronting the axial opening of the adjacent end Wall and asectional opening confronting the end face of said matrix; a telescopicshaft extending freely through the innermost cylindrical-drum and theconcentric inlet and outlet apertures having independent sections atopposite ends thereof secured to the spaced flow distributing means;means for rotating the cylindrical shaft about its axis; to be heated,the inlet and outlet aperture for the fluid and means adapted to varythe length of said shaft to accordingly vary the clearance space betweenthe flow distributing means and the adjacent face of said annularmatrix.

2. Heat exchanger apparatus or the like comprising in combination a pairof concentric cylindrical drums radially spaced to accommodate anannular heat exchange matrix therebetween; a housing surrounding saiddrums and arranged to provide a chamber at each end of said matrixhaving inlet and outlet apertures for a heating 4 fluid and a fluid tobe heated in the end walls thereof, one pair of said inlet and outletapertures being arranged at opposite ends of said housing in concentricalignment with the annular drums; flow distributing means in eachchamber at opposite ends of said matrix axially aligned and adapted todirect one of said fluids to and through a portion of said matrixtherebetween; a telescopically adjustable cylindrical shaft extendingfreely through the innermost cylindrical drum and its concentricallyaligned inlet and outlet apertures, said shaft having spaced endsfixedly secured to the aligned flow distributing means at opposite endsof the matrix; means for supporting v the telescopic shaft and theattached flow distributing means; means for imparting a rotary motion tothe cylindrical shaft; and tension means extending through thetelescopic shaft and secured to spaced ends thereof; and adjusting meansat opposite ends of the telescopic shaft adapted to axially vary theclearance space between the flow distributing means and the adjacentface of said annular matrix.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,859,573 Riley May 24, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS 595,465 Great Britain Dec.5, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No.3,024,004 March 6, 1962 Charles H. Stoddard et al.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patentrequiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read ascorrected below Column 3, lines 4 and 5 strike out "bearing means forsupporting spaced ends of the cylindrical shaft;" and insert instead tobe heated, the inlet and outlet aperture for the fluid lines 18 and 19,strike out "to be heated the inlet and outlet aperture for the fluid",and insert instead bearings means for supporting spaced ends of thecylindrical.

shaft;

Signed and sealed this 9th day of July 1963.v

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST w. SWIDER DAVID L. LADD Attesiing Officer I Commissioner ofPatents

